Report from Galway Director's MasterClass with David Mackenzie

Screen Daily has a recent report on the Director's Masterclass held recently at the Galway Film Fleadh by Sigma's own David Mackenzie. While a podcast of the class is due to appear online later on, the trade journal reports some highlights as follows:

*Among the nuggets from Mackenzie were his dislike of bond companies, which he called “the Stasi of the industry” (in particular for making him cut one third of passion project Young Adam two weeks before shoot), his preference for shooting on digital and the awkwardness of shooting his brother Alastair in a sex scene (The Last Great Wilderness): “It was virtually pitch black so they were fumbling around quite naturally but the off-camera direction definitely broke the spell.”

The director also spoke interestingly about the challenge of working with three actors with very different approaches to their craft on that same film. Mackenzie described how Peter Mullan took a method approach, Tilda Swinton intellectualised and physicalised her role to a great extent, often repeating actions and movements to understand her character, while the raw Ewan McGregor took a more spontaneous approach.

Mackenzie admitted a “fundamental terror of being unemployed.” In addition to the projects already announced on ScreenDaily, Mackenzie said he is planning an “experimental piece” later in the year with brother Alastair and Gavin Mitchell from You Instead.